You may remember this massive explosion from August 2020 — one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in world history. It happened in Lebanon, a country that is still struggling to rebuild from the explosion, and years of government corruption and mismanagement.

Spectrum News 1 has an in-depth story on this, one with a Western New York connection. That reporting was done by Spectrum News 1 producer Lisa Khoury Gadelrab.

This story features three local women helping the country they love, as well as on the ground reporting by you in a country you love as well.

One salient point in the story is that Lebanon's capital, Beirut, was once considered the Paris of the Middle East.

Lisa’s family is from Lebanon, so she has the perspective of knowing that Lebanon of years past, and then seeing the Lebanon of today.